I’ve been at my job in career services for about 3 months. Prior to this, I worked as an academic advisor for two years. This is now my 2nd job in higher ed, regardless of how bad I am at it I do enjoy it. I was initially hired with another person as the dept is meant for two people but she quit after two weeks.
To this day I still get corrections, on corporate calls when we discuss placements I feel like I am drilled by my boss (justifying our placement rates). Yet last week, we had someone from corporate actually visit on site and spoke with them about an hour. My boss and her director (he’s quite the talker) were saying that since I’ve been here, this is the most she’s seen from students engaging in quite some time and how I’m excelling, a good fit etc.
Then why all this do this and do that or do it this way instead or no that’s wrong etc? I think I have my 90 day review soon and plan to voice these concerns. At my last job, I gave myself the wiggle room to make more mistakes and have a learning curve because I was brand new to the field. Now that this is my second in higher edu, just different depts. this shouldn’t be happening. Starting to think it isn’t a good fit.
I spoke with mgmt today, there was a meeting because I ended my probation period. I was honest and my boss pretty much said that I’m unrealistic for being 3 months into a job and assuming I won’t get any corrections, even tho I worked in higher ed academic advising previously. That I’m doing well and there’s nothing that stands out as red flags, if there were I would have been fired or have my probation period extended. Yet she brought another correction to my attention today, a missed opportunity to speak with a grad that visited last week.
Listen to your boss. Your boss seems to be a reasonable person.
Why quit after you just made it through the 90 day probationary period ?
Most people get concerned about a lack of job performance feedback. Seems like you are in a well managed position since you receive constant constructive feedback.
This is your fifth thread on the subject. Obviously, this is stressing you out way beyond the typical range. At this point, you might want to consider counseling. Maybe career, maybe something else. Does your company have an EAP?
Everyone gets feedback. I’ve been doing corporate recruiting for over 30 years and I get feedback regularly. I’d have given up a long time ago if I overreacted every time my boss provided feedback!
You just need to adjust your attitude. Having one previous role in higher ed does not make you an expert-- nor should you expect to be an expert at this stage of your career. Your attitude should be “I’m here to be a productive member of the team AND to learn as much as I can from more experienced professionals”.
My CEO gets feedback- almost daily. And he is considered one of the top people in his field (picture on the cover of business magazines, interviews with CNBC and Bloomberg constantly). He is liked, admired, and does a fantastic job- and yet he gets constant coaching, feedback, prodding, complaints, criticism. Part of what makes him so fantastic is that he encourages feedback from EVERYONE and creates an environment where it’s OK to fail as long as you are learning from your failures.
Sounds like you are doing great! Why would you think your boss wouldn’t correct you after only 3 months- you are barely into it???
Keep at it- and try to incorporate the feedback into the way you do your job. I’ve had people working for me who act like the sky is falling down every time they get feedback and guess what- they usually aren’t long term employees! You can do this- just change your attitude. Feedback is good. It’s like writing a fantastic research paper which gets an A-- but as you flip through it, the professor has marked up several awkward passages, pointed out when you make an assertion which isn’t backed up by facts, shows that you’ve used a footnote or citation incorrectly.
This is great- the paper still gets an A, but the professor wants you to learn how to do even better. That’s what’s happening here. Try to embrace the feedback- it’s a good thing!!!
I agree with @MITPhysicsAlum, get some counseling.
You are posting repeatedly on a college website about the same issue. Do you speak to anyone or have a support system? I don’t think this website is equipped to handle professional counseling.
I agree. [color=red]I don’t think you will ever be satisfied with any job until you get professional help. [/color]
Everyone gets critiqued throughout a career. Everyone.
It happens with most steady jobs but you seem to think that you are the exception.
Go back to the previous job, if this one isn’t working for you, and ask for counseling benefits.
My advice, always assess whether any feedback is based on something factual (e.g., not following up with a grad that did visited last week). If the grad did visit and you did not follow up - then the feedback is factual, maybe concerning to you… but not malicious.
The next step is to swallow your pride, and admit that the other side of the conversation did raise a valid point, even if there might be mitigating factors. Now it’s time to examine what lead to this mishap, what you personally could have done differently at the present time, and what organizational changes (staffing levels?) might improve work flow in the medium term.
Remember: It’s not about you, it’s about the job - and objectively, it needs to get done, and done right - and it’s your supervisor’s responsibility to make sure it does get done right.
Once you’ve come back down from the “emotional” reaction to a “professional” one, you can think of a constructive way to respond:
Start with what you did indeed miss, what changes you are making in the way you organize your own work to avoid a repeat.
Finally, ask if you may offer an additional observation (if there are any). Then add any suggestions you have that you think would streamline matters.
Mods deleted 2 of them.